Set up a pastor's assistant and number

Each pastor has an assistant on their own WhatsApp number. You create the assistant and connect the number in Assistants & channels.

Important: A number used in the WhatsApp phone app must have that account deleted before it can be connected here. The chat history is lost. Do this only when the pastor agrees.

Create the assistant

1. Open Assistants & channels and select Create assistant.
2. In the Create pastor assistant window, enter a Title, Pastor name, Assistant name and Introduces itself as.
3. Choose the Owner from the list of users. The owner can edit this assistant's training, and you must pick one.
4. Select Create assistant. It shows as Enabled in the list.

Choose the identity

Open the assistant and go to Identity. Choose how it introduces itself:

• the assistant's name, then the pastor's assistant
• the pastor's pastoral team
• the assistant's name only
• the pastor, speaking as the pastor

Select Save identity.

Add a number

1. Go to Channels and select Attach channel.
2. In the Add a channel window, choose WhatsApp number or Facebook page under Channel.
3. Under WhatsApp number, choose a number from Meta. For a page, choose a page. A number already in use is greyed out and says "connected to" another assistant.
4. If your numbers do not load, you will see "Couldn't load your numbers from Meta. Enter the details by hand." Choose Enter details by hand and fill in Phone number ID and Phone number. In the Meta app dashboard, open WhatsApp, then API Setup. The ID is shown under the number.
5. Select Attach.

New channels start with AI off.

Check and add notes

• Select Check connection to test the number.
• In the box under the number, which says "About this number, for example: youth line", write a note the assistant reads. It saves when you click out of the box.
• If an assistant has several numbers, one is marked Main number. Select Make main on another to change it.

Turn the AI on

Each number has a switch in the AI replies column. Changes apply within a few seconds. Turn it on only when the pastor has trained and tested the assistant. See Onboarding checklist for a new pastor.

The Enabled switch at the top disables the whole assistant. The general assistant can't be disabled.

Facts

The Facts tab holds the assistant's facts. See Facts.

Remove a number

Select the bin icon on the number's row (Detach) and confirm. If the number has conversations you will see "This channel has conversations. Turn AI off instead of detaching it."

To rename the number in WhatsApp, see Change a number's WhatsApp display name.